A Mother's Treasures
by builtbymachines
Summary: "I'm calling regarding my child, who I have reason to believe you have in your custody. This is the Sawada residence, isn't it?" "Yes." "Then it should be no problem if I came to collect him tomorrow, correct?"  OCx? Rated M just in case! I DON'T OWN KHR!
1. Chapter One

_ Late Night Call..._

**In Japan**

It had to be about midnight when the phone rang. Nana, who was just barely asleep after a long exhausting day, sat up reluctantly and rubbed her eyes. A yawn escaped her lips as she left her bedroom, wrapped in a pink house robe. She shuffled her way down the steps to where the phone was located. A mirror she had passed reflected her brown messy hair and her tired half lidded eyes.

"Moshi Moshi," Nana yawned, answering the phone.

_"I'm very sorry ma'am, have I interrupted your sleep?"_ The voice on the other end definitely belonged to a woman. Before Nana could respond, the woman continued, _"I'm calling regarding my child, who I have reason to believe you have in your custody. This is the Sawada residence, isn't it?"_

"Yes," Nana responded automatically, trying to keep her attention on the caller, which proved to be quite difficult.

_ "Then it should be no problem if I came to collect him tomorrow, correct?"_

"Nope, no problem."

_ "Excellent. Have a nice night, ma'am. We'll be seeing each other very soon."_

"Alright."

The conversation was over just like that. Nana rubbed her eyes, yawned, and shuffled her way back up to her bedroom. It wasn't until she was under her blankets again, her eyes closed, that she realized the words she had exchanged with a woman on the phone. Suddenly, she was not so tired. The worry ate her fatigue away and she sat up.

She was about to lose one of her children.

**In Italy**

"Madam?" a servant adorning glasses poured coffee into a cup before his mistress, "I'm assuming you had a stroke of luck."

"My father believes he can keep me away from my child," the woman cut into the pastry set before her, "I don't appreciate the notion at all."

"The boss is simply trying to do what he feels is best for you," the servant offered, "I'm sure he had good intentions."

"I have half the mind to go up there and tell him where he can shove his good intentions," the woman frowned at the thought of her father lying to her for months, before sighing, "It doesn't matter anymore. I've located him and will be going to Japan after dinner to reunite with him. As my personal servant, I would like it if you were to come with me Julian."

"Of course, madam."

"And remember," the woman, who could not have appeared any older than twenty, put a finger to her lips as her green eyes shimmered mischievously, "It's our secret."

"I understand."

"Good. Make the preparations."

Julian was out of the room in an instant. The woman sipped her coffee, loose curls falling into her face. She tucked them away with one hand, a knowing smile slipping onto her face.

If Julian doesn't betray her she'll pretend nothing was different during dinner as she conversed with her loving father. She won't smile too widely or fidget too much, nor will she have any sudden reactions when he asks her if she found her son, whom he claimed ran away.

At that moment, she'd lie – say she hadn't located him – then she'd stand. She'd stretch and leave, muttering about going to bed early as if her heart had cracked just a bit more at the thought of her son. Once in her room, she'd pack for her trip. She'd have Julian drive her to the airport across town and she'd be gone.

Yes, her plan was foolproof. She had even devised a plan for the scenario in which Julian told her  
>father. Her eyes narrowed.<p>

The woman was not fond of the ways of the mafia. She was the least involved amongst her siblings – two older brothers and an older sister – but she stayed in the mansion for several reasons, one being that she was the youngest of her father's children. But in the event that Julian ratted her out, the woman would show them all just how much of a mafia boss' daughter she was.

She'd kill him.

**=#=**

Okay, so here's the thing – this whole scenerio came up when I was watching Reborn with my friend and she suddenly said, "Where did all of these kids come from?"

And then I realized that no child, mafia or not, could be born without a mother. So, in the end, this is what it became. It's fun to write, too.

Of course, I know you know who's mother was on the phone. It's kind of obvious. If you don't, then you won't know for sure until chapter three.

Of course I don't own KHR.

x


	2. Chapter Two

_ Delatore..._

**In Italy**

Dinner was relatively silent, an unusual occurrence. The woman could tell something was up. Whatever it was, it would reveal itself shortly and she'd be ready for it.

"Rosetta," her father, the boss of the family, finally said. The woman, Rosetta, lifted her eyes to meet the gaze of her father. She almost flinched away. _Almost_.

"Yes, _Papa_?" she forced a smile, giving her father an 'innocent' gaze. There was a moment of eerie silence.

"You're much to young to raise a child," the mafia boss finally said.

"What brought this on, _Pap__a_? Have you found my son?" Rosetta's face portrayed faux hope.

"You can stop this act now, Rosetta. I've heard all about your little plan."

Rosetta's fork clanked against her plate as she stared at her father, her demeanor changing, "Have you, now? From Julian, I presume."

"You are my daughter. I know what's best for you," her father wiped his mouth with a napkin, "Because of certain circumstances, I can't have him relocated. However, I can detain _you_ until you come to your senses."

She was on her feet in an instant, the table tipping over from the action. You could practically see the steam radiating off of her, "Who the hell are you to tell me that I can't see my own son?"

"This is for your own good," he said calmly. Before she could lunge at him, she was being restrained by two of her father's men, shooting curses and insults at her own father.

"Calm down, Miss Bovino!" One told her. She ignored him, still struggling against their hold.

"You're despicable! You told me he ran away! You told me he was probably never going to come back!" She struggled less and less, until finally she slumped against her father's men, tears cascading down her pink cheats, "Then I find out from an _estraneo _that she heard him talking about how he was going to kill a famous hitman and become a mafia boss because his _nonno_ promised him! What kind of monster are you? Sending a five year old off on his own like that?"

"Escort Rose to her room." The men obeyed, beginning to lug her out of the dining room, "Keep an eye on her."

**=#=**

There was a knock.

"Miss?"

"Come in."

Blonde hair, blue eyes - it was Julian. He looked nervous, as he should be.

"I've come to apologize," Julian said, "But I thought it was the right thing to do. You're not mad, are you?"

"Well," the frown on Rosetta's face disappeared as a sigh escaped her lips, "No, I'm not mad. You did what you thought was best. I'm not ready to take care of a child. I was a fool to think differently."

Julian's teeth clenched his lip as his gaze drifted to the plush carpet.

"You look troubled. Why don't you come sit down? We can talk." Rosetta patted the spot next to her on the bed. Instead, Julian sat in one of the chairs in the middle of the room.

"So, tell me. What's on your mind?"

"I was afraid," Julian said suddenly, reluctantly meeting Rosetta's even gaze, "I've been by your side for almost six years, madam. I was afraid that if you went to Japan then you wouldn't come back."

Rosetta frowned again, "You were going to come with me, weren't you?"

"I couldn't have, Miss-"

"You can call me Rose."

"R-rose," Julian faltered, "Your father would've sent people to kill me for betraying him. Of course, they wouldn't have killed you – you're the his daughter, his 'little girl.'"

"I'm far from little, don't you think?" Rosetta uncrossed and crossed her legs, not missing the way Julian's eyes flickered to the black lace beneath her purple silk robe, "I _am_ almost nineteen, after all."

You could hear his gulp as sweat formed at his brow, "I know, m- R-Rose. I apologize three hundred times over. Is there anything I could do to make it up to you?"

A smirk spread across her lips, her tongue ghosting over the pink skin, "You could keep me company."

"Wha-what?" Julian's eyes widened.

Rosetta moved over to him, sitting in his lap with her legs on either side of the chair, "I am a bit lonely, after all. I don't suppose you locked the door when you came in?"

"I-," Julian gulped. His mouth opened to speak, but it wouldn't close. Eventually he gave up on words and just nodded.

"Good." Her lips pressed against his, her tongue sliding into his open mouth. It took him a moment to react before he fell into the kiss. She guided his hands to beneath her robe, just above the rim of her black lace lingerie. She ground herself into his phallus. His hands tightened at her hips before moving down to cup her bottom.

She peeked her eyes open ever so slightly.

_It's meant to be like this,_ she thought. She found her back against her mattress, hardly wondering how he moved so fast. One of his hands brushed passed her nether region and she almost instantly flipped him over.

"I like this better," she breathed from her place on top. Her lips came into contact with his once again as she ground herself into him. He gasped, breaking the kiss.

Julian would be lying if he said he was anywhere less than heaven. He'd been dreaming of the day he could show his beloved mistress just how much he loved her. He knew that she suffered over the time her son had been absent. He had wanted to kiss her problems away, though the fantasy was nothing more or less than inappropriate.

But there she was on top of him, unbuttoning his shirt and loosening his tie. She was going to give herself to him. His mind went blank when her fingers found his belt buckle, grazing the sensitive below in the process. He heard his keys fly across the room, the sound so loud that he missed the distinct click.

It was over. Rosetta stilled. Julian's eyes pulled open and he was met with the opening of a sound suppressor.

"This is what happens, right?" Rose's voice was cold, steady, different than before, "When you're a _delatore_."

"I thought-!"

"You're an idiot if you thought you were off the hook. _A__rrivederci_."

There was a quiet pop.

**=#=**

_Papa_ – father (obviously)

_ Estraneo _- outsider

_Nonno _- grandpa

_Delatore_ – informer/squeaker/snitch

_Arrivederci_ – bye (polite)

I've always wanted to write something like that last part... minus the murder, if you get my drift. One day, I will. Only it'll be better... and yaoi-fied. lol Yes, that is a glimpse of my true goal in life.

Now, the reason there were quite a few Italian words is that I like them more than English ones.

I was gonna wait until Saturday to put this up, but I couldn't wait! I fail as a writer v_v.

x


	3. Chapter Three

_ Resemblance..._

**In Japan**

Nana had been worrying for awhile. She had neglected telling the others about the late night phone call she had received. The woman she had spoken to had sounded well in her twenties and did not seem to be joking. She had not named the child she was seeking, but Nana knew it was a boy. That only left Reborn, Lambo, and Fuuta as possibilities.

Something told Nana that the woman would not come for Reborn. So which would she lose, Lambo or Fuuta?

"Mama, I want food," Lambo pulled at the woman's dress. She promised to make something and went back into house. Nana went straight to the kitchen, quickly running through recipes in her head.

The woman on the phone didn't come the following day as she had said. Perhaps something came up that prevented her from showing up. Whatever the reason, Nana was definitely relieved, if only a little.

The following day, she had tried to enjoy the sunny weather with her 'kids' as much as possible. A black car had parked for a moment outside her house and her heart nearly stopped. A woman got out, dressed nicely. The lady looked up at her and waved before walking across the street and ringing the doorbell. Again, Nana was relieved.

She hadn't heard from the woman since the initial phone call, but Nana was always on her toes. She was in the middle of preparing Takoyaki, Lambo's favorite, when the doorbell rang. She heard Tsuna coming down the stairs, probably going to open it.

"Mom, there's a lady here to see you." Tsuna called. Nana's heart jumped.

"Show her into the family room, I'll be out in a second." Nana instructed, quickening her pace.

Tsuna led the woman into the family room after reminding her to take off her sandals and providing her with slippers. He kept glancing at her from the corner of his eye as he led her into the room and asked her to take a seat. She smoothed out her green and white sundress as she did so.

For some reason, she looked very familiar even though he'd never met her before. Maybe it was the tint of her green eyes or the way her long dark hair loosely curled around her face and down her back. Or perhaps it was the tone of her tanned skin. Whatever the case, it was almost as if he'd seen someone like her before. Now if only he could put his finger on it...

"So," the woman started conversationally as Tsuna sat across from her, "You say your name is Tsunayoshi Sawada."

"Uh, yes," Tsuna said timidly, fidgeting slightly under her gaze.

"So, then, you must be the boy they talk about. The one who's meant to succeed Vongola the Ninth."

It caught Tsuna off guard – he almost fell backwards, "Y-you're from Italy then...? And you want to see my-my mom?"

"I have a few things to discuss with your mother, yes." She leaned against the table, her hand cradling her face, "My, my, she must be _so_ proud of her son."

"You're wrong," Tsuna said, "I'm not going to be a mafia boss."

The woman laughed heartily, "I know little to nothing about the mafia, but even _I_ know that that is something a bit out of your control."

"I-If you don't know about the mafia, than how did you know about the Vongola and me?"

"I hear things I'm not supposed to." Her eyes drifted towards the door where the sun the yard could be seen through the hanging laundry. Tsuna followed her gaze, realizing the yard was empty. Lambo and I-pin must have ran off somewhere.

"This home is very warm," the lady said suddenly, "There's a lot of love here. I can tell that this is a good place to be. Your mother must be a remarkable woman."

Tsuna wondered vaguely why she would say such a thing, but before he could ask his mother came in with a tray of drinks.

"I made some tea," Nana smiled, setting the tea down and sitting next to Tsuna, "I hope you enjoy it, Ms... uh..."

"Oh, that's right!" the woman gasped, "Sometimes it slips my mind. I'm not one for introductions, you see. I am Rosetta Bovino. It's nice to finally meet you face to face, Mrs. Sawada."

_So this woman is related to Lambo, then?_ Tsuna thought, _His sister, maybe?_

Because really the resemblance to adult Lambo was simply uncanny. They could've been fraternal twins as far as Tsuna knew.

"You too, Ms. Bovino."

"You can just call me Rose."

"Then you can call me Nana."

"I apologize for burdening you with Lambo," Rose said sincerely, "He had missing for quite some time, you see. It was only recently that I was able to find him. I can hardly express my eternal gratitude. If it weren't for you, who knows what would have become of my son?"

Tsuna gasped, his eyes widening. Her son? Her _son_? The woman didn't even look much older than Bianchi.

"It was no trouble at all. Though I didn't realize that Lambo was _missing_. His older brother stops by all the time."

Tsuna facepalmed.

"Older brother?" Rosetta inquired, "Well, I don't know anything about that. Perhaps it was just a kid he met in this town."

"Probably so," Nana laughed lightly, "You don't old enough to have had any teenagers unless you're hiding some youth secret."

"Teenage boys? Me? No, of course not!" Rosetta laughed. 

The male in the room was surprised by the sudden change in atmosphere. How had it become so lighthearted so quickly was his silent question.

"Where is Lambo, anyway?" Rosetta finally asked. Nana smiled, saying that he and I-pin were probably out playing.

"I'd like to see him," Rosetta stated, "Do you know where I would find him?"

Nana shook her head before turning her attention to her son, "But Tsuna, you should go look for them. It's almost time for lunch."

Tsuna nodded once and left.

**=#=**

I just don't know what else to call that room... You know, the place where they had the Vongola Style Mother Appreciation Day... Yeah, hehe...

Ick, filler. I really like them, and just wanted to post the rest of the, what I consider boring, chapters all at one. But I was told that that was a bit less than acceptable.

So here ya go~!

x


	4. Chapter Four

_ A Natural..._

**In Italy**

"We have confirmed that _Signora_ Rosetta's plane was headed towards Namimori. Her credit card also has record of purchasing two tickets to Melbourne."

"When does it leave?" the mafia boss asked, irritation evident on his face. The lackey looked at his watch, replying, "About an hour ago."

"Get out."

"But boss-"

"OUT!"

The young man scrambled out, hurriedly closing the door behind himself. The sudden sound the wood made against the door frame caused the boss to jump. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his elbow resting on the mahogany desk before him.

"How could I have let this happen?" he asked himself as he thought back to the night of his daughters 'escape'.

The boss always enjoyed checking his weapon vault. It was his pride and joy. Weapons would go in and out of the vault regularly for cleaning, so some missing artillery here and there was nothing to worry about. A week before Rosetta's little 'stunt', twelve hand guns had gone out. Only eleven came back.

Of course the boss, being more carefree than other bosses, brushed it off. It wasn't anything special – a custom semi-automatic pistol with a Bovino styled sound suppressor (it was more than likely the quietest moderator in the world). There were others like it within the Bovino boss' vault and, being a favorite series in the family, there were plenty more in production. Besides it had to turn up at some point, right?

It did; the night of his daughter's escape, right next to the corpse of a half naked servant. His body was splayed across the bed, covered partly by once crisp vanilla sheets. Upon further inspection, the late butler still wore his undergarments and a pair of cozy black socks. The rest of his belongings, his uniform for instance, were no where to be seen (aside from his glasses which set neatly folded on the bedside table).

If the lack of clothing and struggle marks was anything to go by, he had been dead before he had been stripped of his uniform.

It was quite obviously Rose's doing.

The window had been open, and Julian's keys to the house were missing. The gate enclosing her window was meant to keep intruders out and, subsequently, her in. It was unlocked, though, and wide open, its bars gleaming on either side of her large windows.

Later, the security footage had been played. It revealed that Rosetta had simply walked right into the garage dressed as Julian and borrowed a car, which was later tracked to an airport on the other side of town. She had left the keys in the ignition and neatly written note on the dashboard.

_Yeah, about the whole murder and theft thing... sorry about that._

She must have thought herself clever. Not only had she gotten her son back, but she _must _have been planning to get lost in Australia, where the watchful eye of her father could not reach her.

He could not allow it. Not only was his daughter, his little girl, his _princess_, making the mistake of ruining her life, but she also became a threat to the family. If the Bovinos were to move up, they would require Lambo to stay nestled with the Vongola _Decimo_ and his _famiglia_.

But really, what could he **do**?

** In Japan**

Identical green eyes bore into each other as a silence filled the Sawada household, which was not a normal thing. There were more people than before since Tsuna seemed to pick up more than just two little. Somehow he had found himself accompanied by some of his friends.

Rosetta had been holding her breath, trying so hard to wipe the apprehension off of her face. Lambo, for once, was quiet and looked thoughtful as he tried to recall the familiar face looking back at him. Finally, Lambo's face lit up in recognition, his finger pointing right at Rosetta's nose. Maybe, just _maybe_...

"_Seni_!"

The dark haired girl in the back of the crowd, who stood close to Bianchi (as Rose was introduced to her as she waited for Tsunayoshi's return), squealed in delight.

"He remembered!"

"Haru," Bianchi's hand clamped down on the young girl's shoulder, before she leaned in to whisper into her ear. Instantly, Haru's cheeks flared up as she let out her infamous 'hahi?'

The few in the room who could understand Italian (oh, and Haru) were torn between being mortified for the Bovino woman and being amused. But everyone else was utterly lost.

"Wait a second," Tsuna said, looking at the various expressions in the room (particularly Rosetta's, whose eyes were wide and whose mouth was gaped open), "What did he say?"

Rosetta looked utterly embarrassed as she looked at the child, who was proclaiming the greatness of his astounding memory. She willed her mouth to seal shut before she gulped and managed to force a smile on her face.

"Ah, yeah, that's me..." Rose scooped up the boy, who didn't seem to mind at all, "You've spent too much time with Otavio, I suppose."

Rosetta was grateful that nobody answered the Vongola boss' question. She was thankful that the raven haired boy standing beside Tsuna laughed it off. She felt _blessed_ that Nana just smiled innocently, completely lost.

"Well, since there's a lot of us here," Nana suddenly said, gaining everyone's attention, "Why don't we all celebrate the reunification of Lambo and his mom?"

The party was on.

**=#=**

Rosetta was sitting comfortably at the kitchen table, away from the rest of the little get together that had been taking place in the sitting room. She chewed absently on food that Nana had prepared. It was delicious, but really: why had the woman gone out of her way to cook a feast? She could hear the group of people in the other room chatting and laughing. Suddenly, Reborn, a baby who rubbed Rosetta the wrong way, was standing on the table before her.

"Ciaossu," he said in greeting. Rosetta only nodded in acknowledgment, for her mouth was full.

"So, '_Seni'_." Rosetta flinched. "Care to explain?" Reborn smirked. The teenage mother nearly choked on her food as she swallowed. Her eyes swiveled to the baby, her green optics twitching ever so slightly as she stopped herself from glaring.

"Why so interested?" she grumbled.

He offered no answer besides looking at her with that same smirk on his face.

Finally she sighed, deciding that the story behind the dreaded name (if you could call it that) was not _that_ personal. She started, "Well, it isn't that interesting, really. I wasn't always there for Lambo. He lived with his aunt for most of his life. She was never really fond of me, but the feeling was mutual," the Bovino explained, "My father practically ripped him away from me after he was done breast feeding. He forced my sister to take him in and I visited him when I could."

"Your sister's fault, then?" Reborn predicted.

Rosetta's face scrunched up, "She had him convinced that I didn't deserved to be called his mother because _she_ was the one taking care of him. To her I was just a breast feeder, so she made him think the same. I don't think he even recognizes me as his mother."

But she was fine with that. She was just happy he remembered her at all.

**=#=**

_Seni_ – breasts (*gigglesnort*)

See, I take suggestions into consideration...  
>Sorry for any inconsistencies, mistakes, or OOCness... my bad...<p> 


	5. Chapter Five

_ Realtors and Tantrums..._

**In Japan**

Rosetta Bovino was not a morning person. She was more of a pre-evening, post-noon person. So when the sun glared at her through the hotel's then curtains at almost eight in the morning, Rosetta Bovino was _not_ happy.

In the midst of cursing the sun, she vaguely recalled scheduling a meeting with a realtor the day before. Rose had to do what every adult must; pull herself together quickly and hurry to get ready for the day.

Easier said than done.

The hotel Rosetta stayed at that night was cheap and took cash. It was convenient and untraceable, but certainly not very good quality. Still, Rosetta wasn't ready for the shower water running cold after an allotted ten minutes.

In short, the Italian was wide awake by the time she literally jump out of the shower. She was also growling and muttering empty threats under her breath, but that wasn't very important. After giving up on blow-drying her thick dark hair, Rosetta a managed to put it up with a hair clamp and a handful of strategically placed bobby pins.

She then pulled on her clothes, which consisted of undergarments, black slacks, and a nice blouse. Finally, she slipped on a pair of appropriately sized heels, grabbed her purse, and left her hotel room.

If there was one thing Rosetta found appealing about Namimori, it was that even in the summer the streets weren't overcrowded. By the time Rose had reached the realtor's office, her feet were barely sore and her hair was relatively dry.

With a sigh, she pulled the glass door open, knowing that there was no turning back.

**=#=**

"Lambo! Slow down!" I-pin's high voice advised.

"The Great Lambo can eat the fastest!" Lambo cackled before choking violently. He desperately chugged down a cup of milk to soothe his coughing and then he was at it again.

"I-pin's right, Lambo. You'll choke again if you don't pace yourself," Nana warned.

"The Great Lambo will never-" And of course, he choked. _Again_.

Nana looked at him with deep concern. The cow-print adoring child stole his best friend's milk, chugging it down like he had done his own. His green eyes were glassy after he pulled the cup from his mouth, a common side effect of choking.

Green eyes...

"Oh, that's right!" Nana remembered, "Rosetta's coming to pick you up today, Lambo."

_"Araraa?_ Why is _Seni_ picking me up?" Lambo asked, practically jumping on the table. No one ever thinks to inform him of _anything_!

"She's gonna take you home, of course. So you should probably pack up some toys to take with you." Nana smiled, despite the jump in her heart, "She'll be here after she takes care of a few things."

Lambo sat back in his seat, crossing his arms like the stubborn child he was, "I don't want to live with _Seni_!"

"Lambo..."

I-pin, reading the air, took her leave.

"I wanna stay with you, Mama!"

"Lambo, Rosetta _is_ your mother. You should just give her a chance, she's trying her best." Nana looked concerned. Sure, she didn't want Lambo to leave, but children should be with their mother.

"But I don't _want_ to go back to Italy!" Lambo jumped out of his seat and stormed out of the room, screaming about how life wasn't fair.

Italy? Nana's heart stopped all together for a fraction of a second. She hadn't thought about Lambo returning to Italy for awhile.

The brunette's eyes traveled to the window briefly, where a spider crawled across the sill. A smile stretched across her face, her mood brightening ten fold. [1]

**=#=**

After two hours of tedious chatting and too much walking, Rosetta found herself on the path to the Sawada household. Her feet ached terrible. Wearing heels was a bad idea.

But she had done it; she had accomplished her goal. After paying in cash, Rosetta Bovino was now the proud owner of a small but nicely built western styled house near the center of town. It was a single floor model with two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room. And the best part was that it was already furnished, which meant less hassle for the Italian woman.

Said woman looked through her wallet, counting the money inside. Maybe she could go grocery shopping with Lambo. Rosetta practically gushed at the idea. Something felt off, though. She somehow had a notion that she was being... watched?

She slipped into a nearby store. As luck would have it, it was a toy store. Again, Rosetta gushed – this time at the idea of buying her son a toy for the first time.

In the end, though, she found herself leaving the store with bags full of toys. The cashier told her that they were all very popular with the kids, so Rosetta was content. She even picked up some things for I-pin, who she deemed the sweetest little girl, and Fuuta, a child Nana had gushed about but Rosetta had yet to meet.

Still, the feeling of being watched nagged her. She clutched onto her bags tightly - specifically the one she had thrown her purse into - just in case and gradually quickened her pace to a brisk walk. Deciding it was a bad idea to show up to the Sawada household while she was being followed, she abruptly turned down an alley and went down another street. A park was in sight.

Yeah, she could confront her stalker there.

But of course, she never made it to the park.

**=#=**

_[1] In Japanese culture, if you see a spider in the morning it means good luck so you shouldn't kill it... at least, that's what Wikipedia said..._

_Arara_ – I've been told that it has no real meaning, it's just something people say when they're worryingly surprised... or something...

Today's word: gushed.  
>(give me a word and I might use it a multitude of times.)<p>

And about how Lambo was acting at the table – any five year old would act like that if they had to leave who they saw as their mother. Just ask my brother (My own personal Lambo. Joy.).

Sorry for any mistakes, for I _really_ don't reread these... Also, I put the disclaimer in the summary because I always forget to write it in the chapters. But you _know_ I don't own Reborn, so... Anyway, I just don't want to get sued and you can't say it's not there! :]

xo


	6. Chapter Six

_ Accidents Happen..._

**In Japan**

Tsuna had only known Rosetta for less then a day and already he could tell she was a good person. He had seen her express a lot of emotions in such a short time – curiosity, happiness, relief, appreciation – but it had been a first to see the anger radiating off of her.

When Tsunayoshi had opened the door a little before noon, he was surprised to see a fuming, soaking wet Italian woman carrying seemingly heavy (and fortunately dry) bags. A fair distance behind her stood another Italian, this one a soaking blonde male with a guilty atmosphere. His "older brother", Dino Chiavarone.

"Good morning, Tsuna." Rosetta forced out through gritted teeth, "I don't mean to intrude, but do you happen to have a shirt I can borrow?"

Automatically, his eyes traveled down to Rosetta's blouse, which was, unfortunately for her, white. Through the drenched fabric Tsuna could clearly see the underlying black bra. His face exploded in color as he quickly averted his eyes, nodding quickly before running back up the stairs.

Rosetta sent a murderous glare towards the blonde behind her, and he jumped back. Something in her eyes told him that it was best not to approach her anytime soon. The young Chiavarone boss stood frozen in place as the young mother disappeared into the house.

**=#=**

"Dino-san... what happened to your eye?" Tsuna hesitantly asked his older brother who sat in a chair in his room. It wasn't just him, Yamamoto and Gokudera were also sitting around his room. Even Enma had showed up some time ago.

"Well, you see, I was walking about..." Dino started to explain.

** Earlier that Day...**

_Dino had been on his way to Tsuna's house from the hotel. Of course, he forgot to inform his men of his departure. So when a woman suddenly came from around the corner, the young mafia boss was caught by surprise. So much so that he blatantly tripped over air and crashed into the woman who dropped her bags before she was forced to go tumbling in a strange direction with the clumsy man._

_ The two ended up rolling down a hill and into a bank of water. He was on top of her and there was a moment of silence._

_ "You idiot!" she finally hissed, a frown overtaking her once disoriented features, "Get your hand off my breast!"_

_ Dino blinked, still looking into the woman's green eyes. Confused and slightly curious, he looked to where his hand practically groped the woman._

_ Without thinking, he remarked, "They're soft."_

_ The woman fumed, her had clenching into a fist before she swung at him, punching the blond in the eye. Not even a second later, she kicked him in the groin and he toppled off of her._

_ "You damn pervert!" the woman hissed at him as she stood to walk away, Dino fruitlessly trying to apologize._

**=#=**

"And coincidentally, we both had the same destination," Dino concluded, "Who is she anyway?"

"Her name's Rosetta," Tsuna answered, trying to ignore the fact that the mafia boss was just too clumsy for his own good, "She's Lambo's mom."

Dino's eyes widened, "This is bad."

"What do you mean?" Yamamoto laughed, "Lambo's mom is nice!"

"There's a large price on that woman's head."

Suddenly, as if on cue, the sound of shattering windows accompanied by what could be mistaken as the sound of firecrackers ripped through the air.

**=#=**

Oooh, violence!

So the last chapter was boring, I know. v.v But hey, at least it lasted to chapter six. Speaking of which, I'm sorry it's so short.

I'm **really** starting to feel like Takagi-kun.


	7. Chapter Seven

_ An Eye for an Eye..._

**In an Unknown Place**

_Rosetta Bovino had two major flaws._

"How cliche." Rosetta had picked up a bit of Italian as she was being kidnapped, so she had reverted back to her native tongue. Her busted lip curled into a painful smirk, "So you tie me up, blindfold me, throw me onto the hard ground and _then _you beat the crap out of me. Someone's been watching too many movies."

_The first would be the fact that her pride wouldn't allow her to show fear, an emotion that coursed through her at the moment._

A rough kick in the side sent the woman to the ground. Not a sound escaped the assailant. Rosetta coughed, blood contaminated saliva finding its way from her mouth to the cold ground. The floor was hard, like cement, and she could barely feel the numerous cracks beneath her almost fully numbed fingers.

Her hands had been tied behind her back and her feet were tied to them, forcing her to stay in a kneeling position until she found herself laying on the ground.

"You know," Rosetta said hoarsely, "That almost hurt."

_The second would be the fact that when she tried too hard to hide her fears, she had a tendency of not knowing when to just shut the hell up._

A heel, which felt sharp enough to belong to a pair of stilettos, stabbed into her thigh. Rosetta gritted her teeth, a pained grunt escaping her.

_"Fermati,_ Alessia. That's enough." A gruff voice echoed around the room, making the source hard to pinpoint.

"This is her, isn't it? The woman who killed Julian?" a woman, more than likely Alessia (and more than likely Rose's abuser), growled. Rosetta assumed a nod or similar gesture had been made because then Alessia had asked angrily, "Then why the fuck are we keeping her alive?"

"The mistress wants to finish her with her own hands," the gruff voice responded. There was another kick to the emerald eyed Bovino's ribs.

"_C-a-agn-a_," Rosetta coughed, "W-what would Julian mean to you, anyway?"

The back of her hair was grabbed so roughly that she could feel and hear her hair clamp breaking under the pressure. For a moment she was glad her glassy eyes were covered by the dark fabric. The pain they held would be just too obvious, and probably too satisfying, for the harsh woman.

"What's he mean to me?" the woman sounded sickeningly amused, "He was my fiance, of course."

Rosetta snorted out a laugh, despite the pain, "That's impossible. He was my servant for five years."

"He was our _spy_. What do you think he did while his 'precious madam' got her beauty sleep?"

"He was a loyal servant," Rosetta couldn't help but glare through the dark fabric, "Looking back now, I believe he was in love with me."

"Like I told you, he was our spy and my fiance. It was his job to act that way," Alessia sounded smug, "He was in love with me. There would have never been any love between the two of you."

Rosetta _hated_ her tone, so she decided to deflate the bubble Alessia seemed to have trapped herself in, "You say this, but I assure you he was in love with _me_. More so than you believe he was with you."

The grip on her ebony locks tightened, the clamp breaking fully and strands of hair ripping from Rosetta's scalp. Alessia asked through gritted teeth, "And just _what_ assures you so damn much?"

Rosetta grinned maliciously, forgetting the pain for only a second.

"It was the way he looked at me when I first suggested that we have sex."

It all happened so fast. Rose's cheek stung as Alessia slapped her with free hand and threw her to the ground. Alessia kicked Rosetta in the stomach repeatedly, calling the fallen woman every slanderous term in the book. The woman, who's hair spilled across the floor, reluctantly gave into darkness. She was going to feel _that_ in the morning.

**=#=**

_ "Tsuna, go save her. It's your job as the boss."_

That is what Reborn had told the Vongola heir when I-pin had informed them of what she knew happened, for she was in the kitchen enjoying cookies Nana had baked at the time.

When Rosetta came out of the bathroom wearing the clothes that Tsuna had loaned her (in addition to a shirt, his intuition had told him to give her a pair of shorts as well), Nana had informed her that she could just hang her clothes up to dry. Then Nana and Bianchi went shopping after Rose agreed to babysit. When the Italian woman went outside to hang the clothes, I-pin recalled hearing gunshots as well as the window behind her breaking.

But when I-pin managed to get away from the smoke bomb that had been thrown into the house, Rose was already gone.

Tsuna couldn't even think of where to start, so he called his famiglia over and asked for their help. Enma had also offered his family's assistance, saying that Tsuna's burdens were also his own because they were friends.

"Okay," Tsuna's face was more serious than usual, "She's Lambo's mom so we _have_ to look for her – for Lambo's sake."

"Yeah! FIND LAMBO'S MOM TO THE EXTREME!"

"Juudaime," Gokudera started, looking around, "Where is the stupid cow, anyway?"

It was then that everyone noticed the absence of not only the curly haired boy, but the little Chinese girl as well.

**=#=**

"Stop, Lambo! What you doing?" I-pin followed quickly after the moving Bovino. He suddenly scampered up a tree, struggling to sit on a branch.

"I'm looking for _Seni_!" Lambo shouted down at her, "Nana said she brought toys!"

"Get down here!" the Chinese hit(wo)man commanded, "Tsuna is finding her!"

"LAMBO WANTS TOYS!"

He fell from his perch and was off again in an instant, chanting 'toys' the whole way.

**=#=**

_Fermati_ – stop.

_Cagna_ – bitch. I know what you're thinking, and yes, it is classy.

_**'In an Unknown Place'**_sounded so mysterious, I couldn't resist. X}

If Rosetta seemed out of character, then let me be the first to say that she is actually very much _in_ character. In fact, she's got such a broad personality that I don't even know where to _begin_ in explanation.

The cold dark truth: I've really been meaning to beat Rosetta up at some point. I though it'd be too early, but then I was like: "Nah, she can take it." I think I've seen Boot Camp too many times.

I was trying to capture I-pin's lack of Japanese. Did it work? I used the, erm, American way of talking xD.

Like how I squeezed extreme in there? Yeah, Ryohei's my favorite... ACK! But don't tell Yamamoto! Or Bel! Or Fr- well, I'm sure Fran would be overly indifferent...

(Yes, I'm a psychopathic fangirl... beware.)

Also, if you're not reading the Reborn manga, I suggest you start NOW because they're getting into the Arcobelano Arc! _FINALLY_! Mmm... Adult Reborn... :}


	8. Chapter Eight

_ Warehouses..._

**With Lambo**

Lambo was naïve – but why shouldn't he be? He's five. Still, even a child that young, and maybe even younger, would steer clear of Namimori's eerie warehouse district.

The warehouse district was simply that; an area where warehouses were clustered together near the railroads somewhere around the outer parts of town. It was a usually loud area full of busy bustling working men, but that was during the day. Since the sun began disappearing behind the horizon, the district was ominously quiet.

That is, except for the unusually _brave _and _great _Lambo Bovino – whom was only ever scared of questionable things, such as ghosts. The toddler could probably be heard several structures away, and a single depot took up several hundred square feet so his volume was quite unnecessary.

"_Seni_!" Lambo called, "I want toys!"

I-pin, a more sensible child, followed behind him quietly. She was completely on guard, ready for whatever may jump out at her from the darkness between the buildings. The sky overhead was ablaze with reds and oranges. It was getting late, and I-pin _knew_ bad things happened after dark, especially in a place where only deserted warehouses could be seen for miles.

"Lambo, be quiet!" the girl tackled her friend into an alley, a hand clamped over his mouth. She had spotted a suspicious car creeping from around a distant corner, heading straight for them. The car stopped in front of a warehouse a ways away from the two. I-pin peeked around the corner, releasing a struggling Lambo who had been squirming for freedom.

"What's goi-?"

"Shh!"

"Move, I wanna see!"

"SHH!"

The doors of the warehouse opened and the car drove inside, but not before two very buff looking men stepped out of the car and stood guard at the entrance. Something very fishy was going on in that warehouse.

**=#=**

"Wakey, wakey, sunshine."

Rosetta cringed as the heel pushed into her side. It felt like the shoe was going to puncture through her side.

"What the hell do you want?" Rosetta hissed. Light was radiating through her dark, yet rather thin, blindfold. _They must have turned the industrialized lights on, then,_ Rosetta concluded, _so it must be around night..._

Night meant that she was missing for a _long_ time. Maybe no one was looking for her. Perhaps she'd die there, like the woman, Alessia, had suggested before. And just when she thought she had everything in order.

Suddenly, the dark fabric was yanked down from her face. Her eyes burned from the sudden light, the lids screwing shut automatically.

"So, this is the girl who killed my son?"

Well _here_ was a new voice.

"Yes, mother." That was Alessia's voice.

"Don't call me mother, girl! You are no family of mine!" The woman spat back at the ruthless Italian woman. Rosetta peeked an eye open.

It was like staring into an old photograph. Looked every bit like her son, or rather, her son had resembled her very much. They had the same hair, the same facial structure and, as Rosetta found out when the woman turned back to glare at her, the same eyes.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" the woman asked, not an ounce of feeling reflected in her voice.

Rosetta's eyes also narrowed. How dare this _woman_ talked to her as if she were a child being scolded by a disapproving teacher. Granted, she was practically a child compared to the withering woman, but still... The point _is_ Rosetta didn't like it.

"What I have to say, _ma'am_, is that your son was a snitch and a spy and deserved every bit of what he got in the end."

The woman's eyes, glazed over with malice, shifted to the burly man in the corner. He approached quickly, as if reading the woman's mind, and seemed to just know how to silence the Bovino's disrespectful comments.

**=#=**

Heavy foot steps came up from behind the two children. Instinctively, I-pin gave the person a nice helping of Gyouza Kempo. After the target fell back and was knocked into numerous other bodies, I-pin was able to hone in on her so-called target.

It was _Dino_.

"S-sorry for startling you kids," Dino apologized as he gained back control of his body and scrambled to his feet. He briefly explained how the Vongola, Simon, and Chiavarone families had split into search parties and how the Chiavarone ended up with the outer parts of town since it had the largest amount of members.

"What's going on?" he asked the kids, stooping to their level, "Where's your mamma, Lambo?"

"Eh? Mama's at home," Lambo said, as if even an idiot should know _that_ much.

"Something strange happening there!" I-pin pointed in the direction of the suspicious warehouse. Dino peeked around the corner, his eyes instantly lighting up in recognition.

"I recognize them! They're apart of the, uh... Romario?" 

Romario also took a peek, "The Occhio family, boss."

"Right, the Occhio family. What're they doing here?"

Upon closer inspection, the buff men at the door were not only unnecessarily muscular, but also unnecessarily humungous. One had an electric blue mohawk with sideburns and the other had a lime green mullet. Both men would be easily recognizable, though not very memorable.

And then there was a scream – so loud and pained that the group, which consisted of Dino, Romario, Brutus, Lambo, and I-pin, could hear it from the distance they were from the depot.

It was instantly recognized as Rosetta by those who had met her.

**=#=**

It's not that I _enjoy_ OC abuse... I just get one hell of a kick out of it. :]

Originally, I had forgotten all about Dino... Well, there he is in all his super awesome bossness.


	9. Chapter Nine

_Eleventh Hour..._

**Within the Warehouse**

Rosetta's voice resounded around the wide space.

It hurt. It hurt so much that for a moment Rose had forgotten where she was, even who she was, and why she was there. Her own scream seemed to bounce off the walls before lodging itself in her throat where it choked her.

She tried to arch her back, tried to get away from the heat that scolded her, but the man had her pinned down. Her, or rather, Tsuna's shirt had been cut away by Alessia and thrown the the ground, leaving her bare torso unprotected.

The engine of the sleek black car in which Julian's mother had arrived in was _hot_. Extremely so. So when the hood was lifted and Rosetta was practically slammed on to the hot burning surface a scream spouted from her lips instantaneously.

It wasn't just painful, it was embarrassing. Her upper body was bare for all to see. Rosetta's glossy green eyes caught a glimpse of her the man's face. At least he didn't look satisfied, like Alessia did. For that, she was grateful.

The doors exploded open after Rosetta had lost her ability to see and hear clearly. Everything was coming together in a jumbled mess. What sounds made what? Who was where? When had she been lifted from the make-shift torture device?

"Shh," someone was wrapping her up, "It's alright, now."

What a recognizable voice...

Rosetta looked up, in a daze, her green eyes failing to focus on their twin pair.

"I thought... I thought you were somewhere... somewhere in Italy..." Rosetta said tiredly, "Why are you here... Romeo?"

And she blacked out.

**=#=**

The hospital's waiting room was big, but it wasn't big enough to comfortably accommodate the thirty-six people who came rushing through the doors at different times. Tsuna was one of the first to get Dino's call, so he along with Gokudera, who never left his side, had been the first ones to be filled in. Tsuna's face portrayed nothing less than horror.

"I managed to convince the doctors that it was just an accident, though, so there won't be any investigation or anything."

"Is that really the right thing to do?" Tsuna asked skeptically.

"Don't be stupid," Reborn suddenly appeared on Tsuna's shoulder, "If the police got involved, there would be a lot of unnecessary blood shed in the long run."

Tsuna silently agreed. *

He looked around at everyone who had crowded the waiting room. The entire search party, mostly composed of Dino's men, was waiting around, along with Bianchi and Nana who were told that their new friend had been in a terrible accident. But, where...

"Where's Lambo and I-pin?"

"I-pin went to the cafeteria, and Lambo is in there with his mom."

"Lambo doesn't know about Rosetta being his mom, so... why...?"

"It's a long story."

**Two Days Later**

The light was too bright. Her eyelids gently burned from the warmth, the inside of them no longer dark. An annoying beeping sound reverberated around the bland room. She fought consciousness, the faintly pulsing pain in her back effecting her head in a similar fashion. **

Finally, she sat up, startling the nurse in her room with her hiss.

"You shouldn't be sitting up!" The nurse rushed over immediately, "Your back is badly burned! You should stay on your side so you don't upset it!"

Rosetta let the panicking woman lay her back down on her side. She vaguely entertained the thought of her nurse being new, but dismissed it, not wanting to worry herself with the question of 'can this woman do her job proficiently?'

"What happened?" Rose asked hoarsely, looking at her purple wrist. She was caught off guard by the sound of her own voice, which had changed dramatically from lack of use.

"Your boyfriend said you had a nasty fall. According to him, you're quite the clumsy one; always tripping and falling and running into things," the nurse suppressed a chuckle.

"My _boyfriend_?"

"Oh, yes!" the nurse, whose name tag read 'Kanako', "You've got yourself quite a looker. A bit on the clumsy side, though. I guess that's why the two of you are so _perfect_ for each other!"

Rosetta's mind drew a blank. Boyfriend? Clumsy? Perfect? _What?_

"He explained everything, even your... erm... _fetish_..."

"My _what_?" The words slipped out before she thought about them.

The nurse giggled, "You know, your bondage fetish. It's a good thing, too, because if he hadn't let that slip, well... the whole city would be in an uproar about kidnappers and rapists."

"Oh, yeah," Rosetta said, letting out a halfhearted laugh, "That'd be bad, huh?"

"Of co-."

There was a knock on the door and a blonde head poked inside, "Is someone else in here? I heard vo- you're up!"

His face brightened tenfold.

"I should leave you two love birds alone!" Nurse Kanako chirped, "If you need me, just pressed the red button. Bye~!"

"You're the pervert from before," Rosetta glared daggers at the blonde, "Do you enjoy making a full out of me?"

"The nurse must have told you, huh?" The mafia boss sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. He stood cautiously out of her reach. Good call, Dino, good call.

"I'm Dino, by the way. Head of the Chiavarone famiglia." Dino suddenly switched to Italian, feeling more comfortable with his native tongue, "We've met before."

Rosetta followed suite, "Why are you here?"

"I was waiting for you to wake up," Dino finally took a chance and sat in a nearby chair, "You scared everyone to death. We thought you'd die."

"And what does that have to do with _you_, huh? You don't even know me."

Dino shrugged, "It's just in my nature, I guess. Friends help other friends out."

"We're not friends. I don't know you any more than just the pervert who groped me." Rosetta frowned, "So why help me?"

"I guess I was just doing it as a favor to Tsuna. He was really worried. He wanted to be here himself, but he had to go to school."

"And why would _he_ care so much. We barely know each other. I'm sure if I knew proper Japanese etiquette, we'd be on last name basis only."

"He's just like that," Dino explained, "You're important to Lambo, and Lambo's important to Tsuna."

Important to Lambo? Rosetta ignored the warmth squirming in her heart, "Lambo doesn't realize that I'm his mother. He thinks I'm just, well... not his mother."

"Really? Well, in ten years time, he'll be very fond of you."

Rosetta scoffed, "How would you know that?"

"Well..."

**The Night of Rosetta's Rescue**

Rosetta's scream struck fear in the hearts of the children and the Chiavarone. Even the guards from the Occhio family looked slightly shaken by the sudden outburst.

"Lambo mamma in trouble!" I-pin gasped.

"We'll go save her, you kids stay here, alright. Brutus, Romario – follow my lead," Dino instructed. Without a moments hesitation, he was running toward the guards, his whip at the ready.

Lambo followed behind them, shouting about how Seni would give him toys and how he wouldn't lose his toys to Dino. He managed to run right past Dino _and_ the guards, and into the warehouse. Sometimes he was thankful for his shortness.

Now for the toys!

But then Lambo was tackled unexpectedly by I-pin, the two landing right before a woman in tall shoes and a black business suit. She kicked the children away, throwing them against the wall. They crashed against the hard surface. A bazooka flew out of the black hole that was Lambo's hair. A long crack ran up the side, a product of the impact the cow adoring toddler endured.

The purple weapon came down, engulfing the children in darkness. There was a loud bang and a pink cloud of smoke.

Out of the smoke emerged two teens, both looking _extremely_ confused.

"Where are we?" The older I-pin asked, looking around. She had been getting ready for bed when she felt the familiar pull of the ten-year-bazooka. She was wearing silk pajamas, glasses perched on her nose.

The other teen was wearing normal street clothes, his hair messier than usual and a tad bit of lipstick smudged on his chin. He had been at an amazing party. It was good that he had been in the bathroom before he was pulled away. He didn't want to _traumatize_ his younger self, now did he? Nor did he want the sudden appearance of five year old Lambo to cause a scene.

In an instant, he zoned in on the source of throat shredding screams. He recognized the woman from the pictures back home. In the blink of an eye, he was charging over to her. I-pin was close behind.

Alessia slid in front of Lambo, "You're not getting any closer."

"I-PIN!" Lambo yelped, ducking away from the woman's sudden attack. The teenage girl flipped over his head, engaging Alessia in combat. This gave the young Bovino time to quickly pull out his horns and attach them to his head. He ran straight for the man who still held the screaming woman down, calling the lightening along the way.

"Elettrico Cornata!" Lambo's sparking horns connected with the man's side. He hadn't even put up a fight. Lambo quickly pulled the woman off of the running car. He took her over to a dark corner, away from the battle breaking out between the Chiavarone and I-pin, and the Occhio family. He noticed her lack of clothes. He slid off his jacket and wrapped it around her.

She was still screaming.

Shh," Lambo said, "It's alright, now."

Rosetta looked up, in a daze, her green eyes failing to focus on their twin pair.

"I thought... I thought you were somewhere... somewhere in Italy..." Rosetta said tiredly, "Why are you here... Romeo?"

"No, _mammina_, it's me. It's Lambo."

But she was already gone. Lambo shook her shoulders gently, "No, wake up. Please, wake up!"

The teen was failing to hold in the tears that fell shamelessly down his cheeks.

**In the Hospital**

"I found him crying over you. We got you to the hospital and he never left your side..." Dino's eyes finally traveled to Rosetta, for they had been staring at the ceiling through the whole story. What he saw surprised him.

Rosetta had at some point turned around. Her shoulders were shaking and you could here her sniffles.

"Rosetta? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Where is he now?"

"The effects of the broken bazooka wore off earlier this morning. He was right here earlier, but his five year old version wandered home. The teenage Lambo never left your side, not even for a second." Dino's eyes knitted together, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Please leave." Rosetta wiped her tears on her pillow.

Dino silently stood up, wondering if remembering what had happened had taken a toll on her mental state. He didn't understand, but he obeyed anyway.

Rosetta had mixed emotions. She was crying in joy for the future and in sorrow from the past. One day her past would slap her in the face by blending into her future. How was she supposed to prepare for that?

**=#=**

_mammina_ – another way to say mom in Italian (equivalent to 'mommy')

**Title Explanation: **Eleventh Hour is a saying which means 'in the nick of time' or 'just in time'. She was not there for eleven hours, I can assure you.

*Really wanted to end it here...

**Effecting or affecting? I don't know the difference.

Hehe, Rosetta knows Romeo... see where I'm going with this? Please don't throw things at me.

The ending sucked and some parts didn't make sense, I know.

Yes, a running car gets _that hot_. Running engines can get well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. And if I can get a burn complete with blisters just from putting my arm under my laptop too long when it's overheating, then this should be possible too, yeah? The laptop burn is true, by the way, not theoretical.

I really pushed hard to exceed my average word count. I did – almost 2,000 words this time. Go me.

Also, the warehouse scenes seem a little, erm, _slow_ to me... just know that it was very fast pace.


End file.
